Someone from Alberta is cheating cat lovers by selling them shaved kittens.
These shaved kittens were sold in the market as the hairless Sphynx cats. The Sphynx cat breed is one of the most expensive cat breeds in the world and is a very popular breed among cat lovers. Taking advantage of the huge demand, these scammers have engineered the idea of shaving kittens that looked very similar to the Sphynx and selling them at exorbitant prices and taking the customer for a ride.
These fake Sphynx kittens at the first sight looked very original, but within a few weeks their hair started growing back, which was shocking for their owners. It turned out that these cats were hairless not because of their breed characteristics, but due to abuse. These scammers used razors, hair removal creams and scissors to shave the hair off these little kittens. Even their whiskers were plucked out, causing pain and injury.
JoAnne Dyck, one of the people who paid $700 for this fake Sphynx cats told the CBC news “I thought he was crying for his mom, but was probably in pain”. The baby kitten named Vlad was dropped at JoAnne Dyck’s, Alberta home. According to Dyck, the kitten looked very much like a Sphynx cat because it was very skinny and had an angular face.
Within days she noticed that the kitten behaved strangely and did not get along with her other Sphynx cats hence she sold Vlad to another women. Dyck and the other women kept in touch for the next few days and discussed about Vlad, because he wasn’t behaving normal and was in deep anguish. This woman took him to a vet for examination where she received the shock of her life.
The vet said that the cuts on his skin were caused by a razor burn or Nair or something similar to that, said Dyck. The cuts on the tail were infected so much that it would have led to amputation.
Vlad is fine and safe now and living happily with the women who got it from Dyck.
Before you decide to get home a Sphynx cats, get yourself educated about its physical as well as their personality traits, so that you won’t get scammed by such cheats who are doing these cruel acts just for a few dollars.
Source: CBCNEWS
Features and Characteristics of a real Sphynx cats
Physical Characteristics
Sphynx is a medium to large sized cat breeds with a heavy and muscular body, even though it may not have that appearance. They have wide open, large and upright ears similar to that of a bat. The eyes are round and wide, which gives them a friendly appearance.
They look very approachable due to their rounded eyes. The color of their eyes can vary and there is no specific eye color for this breed. This cat looks regal because of their high cheekbones that are highly visible, one that was found in Egyptian cats.
They may or may not have whiskers and eyebrows. Even if some of them have whiskers they are very sparse. The whisker pads and the pads of the feet are full. These cat breeds seem to have a full belly somewhat like a potbelly and this is an important characteristic of this breed since they are heavy eaters.
Even though these cats are called hairless breeds, if you look closer they have fine hair, which can be barely felt and not seen by naked eye. Because of the hairless characteristics, the body of these cats feels warm. Another very strange feature of this breed is wrinkles. They have wrinkles between the ears, around the shoulders and muzzle. Although all cats have wrinkles on them, the wrinkles are more prominent on the Sphynx breed because of lack of hair. Even the color can vary and the markings on the skin look similar to the markings on a cat with fur.
Why are Sphynx a Popular Breed?
Other than the physical traits, it is the personality of this breed that makes this breed extremely popular among cat lovers. Just like a monkey, this high energy cat can perform acrobats, balance, climb onto bookshelves, doors, and even sit on your shoulder like a bird. They love human company and will do various activities to keep you entertained.
This is a complete show-off cat with knowledge of all theatrics. Imagine the potent combination of high-level of intelligence combined with curious and mischievous characteristics, which can make the Sphynx a unique breed. Even though they are highly active these are well-behaved and loving breeds.
They are loyal and affectionate towards their family and will appreciate all the love and attention showered on them. Sphynx can get along very well with other cats and dogs in the house, making them a perfect breed for home with children and pets.
The charming and loving qualities of the Sphynx attract the attention of cat lovers around the globe.
Seeing the demand for the Sphynx, the Scamsters with cruel intentions have invented the above methods to cheat people and take advantage of their innocence. The only way to solve this problem is to buy a Sphynx or for that matter any good breed from a reputed and registered breeder. Educate yourself about the breed beforehand and never buy until you are 100% sure.
Get in touch with people who have bought cats from the breeder and can vouch for their authenticity. Visit the breeder and check the living conditions and the overall welfare of the animals there. Enquire about the breeder before you commit. If you find the deal too good to be true, then it is time for the alarm bells to ring.
